seriously...WTF?

[San_Diego_Matt]

word!

now the mailman just needs to show up with the rest of my order and I'll be carbing 2 kegs at once in no time!!!

[San_Diego_Matt]

You don't have to have an on/off valve at each line. If you leave the disconnects always connected (and check them for leaks when you first put it together) you'll be fine. They must be tightened with a wrench (wrench on the swivel nut and use the body of the disconnect to tighten it). I have my system configured this way and have been leak free since I set it up back in January.

If you want valves, it's probably cheaper to buy the valves that have an integrated check, like these. If you still want a separate check ball and valve, you can order Mcmaster item# 4912K47, which has female 1/4" NPT on both ends, or 4912K72 for female to male. Either one is $5.38.

As far as the wye, you can connect a female flare barbed swivel nut directly to those 1/4" male flare fittings. It's not a bad idea to get a flare washer for metal to metal connections like this, a little extra insurance against leaks.

Let's say I have a bunch of these:


Rather than going through the trouble of returning them and buying a valve with an integrated check, I'm trying to rig up a serving system with the check as close to the disconnect as possible to hopefully remove the risk of anything entering my lines from the keg. The problem I'm having trouble figuring out is that the checks I have are male threaded on both sides. 1 side is 1/4" MFL and the other side is, I think, 1/4" MPT. If both sides were 1/4" MFL it'd be no problem, but that's not the case. So, am I going to be able to go from keg, to disconnect, to valve to check to regulator without needing 6" of reducers and other non needed parts?

If the McMaster Carr website was a bit easier for me to navigate I could probably figure out what I need from there, but I'm completely lost looking for things on there. I don't know the name of what I'm looking for most of the time.

do they make a check that's MFL 1/4" on both sides? I've found check valves on there, ball check valves, but the cheapest ones are $15 each and the ones I have I got for $2 each.

What gives?

[San_Diego_Matt]

so at this point all I'm waiting for are a couple of wye connectors to screw into the bottom of each regulator and check valves before I can bolt this sucker on and take it for a test drive on serving some beer.

[Nyakavt]

Rather than going through the trouble of returning them and buying a valve with an integrated check, I'm trying to rig up a serving system with the check as close to the disconnect as possible to hopefully remove the risk of anything entering my lines from the keg. The problem I'm having trouble figuring out is that the checks I have are male threaded on both sides. 1 side is 1/4" MFL and the other side is, I think, 1/4" MPT. If both sides were 1/4" MFL it'd be no problem, but that's not the case. So, am I going to be able to go from keg, to disconnect, to valve to check to regulator without needing 6" of reducers and other non needed parts?

If the McMaster Carr website was a bit easier for me to navigate I could probably figure out what I need from there, but I'm completely lost looking for things on there. I don't know the name of what I'm looking for most of the time.

do they make a check that's MFL 1/4" on both sides? I've found check valves on there, ball check valves, but the cheapest ones are $15 each and the ones I have I got for $2 each.

What gives?

Sorry dude, been out of it for the last few days. The 1/4" MPT is meant to screw into the wye or manifold or whatever you have splitting gas from the regulator, and the MFL is made to accept the barbed swivel nut that is in the CO2 line. That's how most of them are set up, I guess with the accepted risk of beer getting in the lines but still preventing beer from backing up into the regulator or CO2 cross mixing. I know what you mean though, beer can and does get into my CO2 lines if the keg carbonation is higher than the regulator setting with those check valves back at the manifold.

If you want the check as close to the disconnect as possible, the best solution is probably an in-line check valve, like these, about $.70 each. To use those check valves you already have, your probably going to need a stub hose to connect the male flared ends of the ball check valve to the disconnect, and barbed NPT fittings for the hose to connect back to the manifold. You can find these barbed pipe adapters on Mcmaster under hose fittings...barbed hose fittings...adapter. There are lots of options, but for example 5346K14 for 1/4" MPT to 1/4" hose barb and 5346K42 for 1/4" FPT to 1/4" hose barb. They're also at the hardware store in the plumbing aisle.

I can't find a female to female flared swivel coupler, but you might have better luck at the hardware store. Usually flared couplers are male though, because the tubing that they are supposed to connect is itself flared. My solution to the beer getting into the line is to just blow it out with CO2 when it happens, and when I'm cleaning the beverage lines to also run some cleaner into the gas lines for good measure.

[San_Diego_Matt]

so I got it built this far tonight until I ran out of teflon tape.



Tomorrow, or Saturday I plan on getting it to here:



Then 1/4" flare nuts and barbs to some tubing to the gas in disconnects and then I can serve 4 beers at once at different temperatures.

I realize I'd be better off carbing at different pressures than serving at different pressures, but I'll get to swapping that stuff out eventually.

I think the end is near!